outfitter-dev/trails/trails-dogfood-check

Trails Dogfood Check

Use this skill when framework-owned trails, CLI helpers, loaders, or generators drift from the rules consumer trails must follow.

Workflow

1. Locate the trail implementation, helper, loader, surface binding, or runtime boundary

under review.

1. Decide which boundary it lives on:

• Trail runtime behavior should return Result and specific TrailsError values.
• Host construction, parser setup, and programmer-error boundaries may throw when documented.
• CLI presentation may handle process output and exits at the surface edge.

1. Check ambient state access. Prefer explicit rootDir, workspaceRoot, config, or resource inputs over process.cwd() in reusable framework logic.
2. Check app-loading and materialization paths for Result-shaped errors unless they are intentionally outside trail execution.
3. Verify tests cover the boundary decision, especially the error shape agents or surfaces will see.

Authoritative Sources

• docs/testing.md
• The nearest package AGENTS.md or package tests.

Advisory Context

• Prior hardening audit theme: framework-owned trails should follow the same Result and boundary doctrine they ask consumer trails to follow.
• PR #300 / TRL-564 changes and tests on queryable-contract hardening are useful precedent for distinguishing runtime Results from documented host-construction exceptions.

Must Not

• Do not call every throw a bug. Construction and programmer-error seams can stay throws when documented and tested.
• Do not move surface concerns into trail implementation logic.
• Do not replace explicit config or resource inputs with ambient process.cwd() or process.env reads.
• Do not hide native Error values inside Result.err where a specific TrailsError exists.

Output

Report:

• Boundary classification.
• Runtime Result or host exception decision.
• Any ambient cwd/config/resource drift.
• Expected error class and rendering behavior.
• Tests or follow-ups needed before accepting the change.